![]() Baking soda is still a great non-abrasive scrubbing agent and vinegar still has disinfecting qualities. If you sprinkle baking soda on a surface, and then spray or pour vinegar over it and scrub right away – it will probably do an okay job. Now, I don’t think this means there is absolutely no cleaning value in the bubbling action of the baking soda and vinegar. The baking soda or cream of tartar is great for scrubbing and whitening and the soap and tea tree oil add cleaning and disinfecting power! I love my homemade multipurpose cleaner made with castile soap, tea tree oil, and water! Sometimes I’ll sprinkle a really soiled surface with baking soda or cream of tartar first and then spray on the multipurpose cleaner. Instead of using baking soda and vinegar, the best cleaner for all around your house is still soap. At that point you’ll basically be cleaning with diluted salt water. So, if you’re looking to clean your sink, toilet, tub, counters, or stovetop with more than just salt water, then I would not recommend mixing the baking soda and vinegar, letting it sit for a minute while it fizzes, and then doing your cleaning. The bubbles are heavier than air, so the carbon dioxide collects at the surface of the container or overflows it… A dilute sodium acetate solution remains after the reaction. The carbon dioxide escapes the solution as bubbles. First, there is double displacement reaction in which acetic acid in vinegar reacts with sodium bicarbonate to form sodium acetate and carbonic acid. Carbonic acid is unstable and undergoes a decomposition reaction to produce the carbon dioxide gas. ![]() The chemical reaction actually occurs in two steps. “What?!” I thought, “ but I’ve read in so many different places about using vinegar and baking soda together as a homemade, non-toxic cleaner ! I’ve even written about it and advised other people to use it for cleaning!” Oops! I will admit, this was news to me too when I first read about it while doing research for my book! But what do you really have left after all the bubbling and fizzing dies down? Really not much more than a salt water solution. We all know that when you mix vinegar and baking soda together, you get a great bubbly, fizzing reaction. The Truth About Vinegar and Baking Soda Mixed Together So should you use a vinegar and baking soda mixture for cleaning? The truth might actually surprise you. Some people love their vinegar and can be kinda defensive about it! But, I’m here today to dispel a green and natural cleaning myth: That vinegar and baking soda is an effective homemade cleaning solution. I learned something interesting last month when I wrote a post over on Keeper of the Home about vinegar not being a great non-toxic cleaner. But do you really know what you’re actually scrubbing around and how effective it is? The bubbles fade away and you scrub down your sink, toliet, tub, or counter. You watch the bubbles pop and feel proud that you’re using a safe and non-toxic cleaning solution. You sprinkle and pour and watch the satisfying bubbles rise up. Since we put a thin layer of baking soda on the trays and there is only a little vinegar in a cup, this is not a very messy experiment with my kids.Ready to remove toxic cleaners from your home? Find out how!
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